Alonzo bidwell



No. 624,892. Patented May 9, I899. A. BIDWELL.

Ff METALLIC RAILROAD GROSS TIE.

(Applic'ation filed m. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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ALONZO BIDVV-ELL, OF FORT SCOTT, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO W. R. BIDDLE, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,892, dated May 9, 1899. Application filed March 4, 1899. Serial No. 707,769. (No model.)

T (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ALONZO BIDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Scott, in the county of Bourbon and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railroad Cross- Ties; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The special object of the invention is to make the track-rails more springy and flexible, also to improve the usual means of looking the cross-tie to the rails. By my improved cross-tie I give an elasticity to the rail-bed, so as to take up the shock of impact,

this being due to the steel bridges or rail-supports, which yield slightly to the passing weight and regain their normal position after it has passed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of the rails and cross-ties locked together; Fig. 2, a detail view of the lock-plate. Fig. 3 is a side View of the tie, and Fig. 4' a perspective view of the pivoted dog raised and the lock-plate slid back.

In the drawings, A represents the cross-tie, which has the horizontal plate a, from which rises the longitudinal central plate a vertically, these two plates being preferably cast together. In the plated are formed the T- slots a 03, one near each end, while on the upper edge are formed the undercut raiL clamps a a B B are bridgeplates made of elastic steel to support the rails yieldingly on the cross-tie.

O is an adjustable vertical plate, which has on its upper edge clamps c c, placed opposite to the bridge-plate clamps a These clamps project over the opposite sides of the bridgeplates and bear upon the bottom flanges of the rail.

Pivoted on one side and near one end of the rigid plate a is the dog D, which when turned down bears against one of the studs 0 on the sliding plate (1, the studs being adjustable in the slots a of a are transverse vertical plates on the bottom of plate a, which are forced into the ground to prevent lateral displacement of the cross-tie.

What I claim as new is In railroad cross-ties, the sliding plate 0 having the clamps c c and side studs 0 c as shown, in combination with the fixed vertical center plate at having the T-slots a a and no the pivoted dog D all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO BIDWELL. Witnesses:

W. R. BIDDLE, R. B. CAMPBELL. 

